Mexico's 'methamphetamine kings' sent to jail

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican court handed down prison sentences on Thursday to two brothers convicted of leading a gang that controlled much the country's black market amphetamine trade.

Prosecutors say a cartel run by the Amezcua brothers, known as the "Methamphetamine Kings" in criminal circles, used laboratories in the Pacific states of Colima and Jalisco to produce narcotics for export to the United States.

Jose de Jesus Amezcua was sentenced to 28 years in jail, while his brother Adan was handed nine and a half years, the attorney general's office said.

An increasing trade in methamphetamine, known as "meth" or "crystal," has given powerful Mexican drug cartels a hefty shot in the arm in recent years. Cheaper than cocaine or heroin and with a longer-lasting high, methamphetamine is also gaining popularity among drug users in Mexico.

Mexico is the main route for smugglers moving narcotics into the United States, the world's largest importer of illegal drugs.